Jump to content
Urch Forums

Help wanted


Recommended Posts

I got this one right (the answer is E), but I am posting this because I do not know what "enervating backwaters" means in this context. Your help is appreciated!

 

In the absence of any ____ caused by danger, hardship, or even cultural difference, most utopian communities deteriorate into ____ but enervating backwaters.

 

(A) turmoil--frantic

(B) mistrust--naive

© amerioration--ignorant

(D) decimation--intrusive

(E) stimulation--placid

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My understanding of this sentence is:- The utopian communities are not stimulated by cultural difference, hardship etc..and they become like any backward region that is isolated from the world and resists progress (enervating backwaters)

(In general, the community restricts its growth by not accepting changes, and is isolated from other communites)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the way i figure it is that placid has a good connotation to it - calm, satisfied. but the point of the statement is that, even though they are complacent, and seem to be doing good, they are slowing deteriorating - or enervating (getting weak), which is not so good.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

the way i figure it is that placid has a good connotation to it - calm, satisfied. but the point of the statement is that, even though they are complacent, and seem to be doing good, they are slowing deteriorating - or enervating (getting weak), which is not so good.

 

but why not C,it also can be understanded that the society is lack of the ameriorate,so that times later,their people will be ignorant,so that is also make the sense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got this one right (the answer is E), but I am posting this because I do not know what "enervating backwaters" means in this context. Your help is appreciated!

 

In the absence of any ____ caused by danger, hardship, or even cultural difference, most utopian communities deteriorate into ____ but enervating backwaters.

 

(A) turmoil--frantic

(B) mistrust--naive

© amerioration--ignorant

(D) decimation--intrusive

(E) stimulation--placid

 

 

Amelioration means to improve, but its a stretch to say that because of danger or hardship a community has improved (its a possibilty, which would signify that the community is growing, but not necesserily implied). Stimulation fits here because it doesn't have a good or bad connotation. Ignorant might have made sense if not for the "but enervating backawaters". The but tells us that the word has to in some way contrast with the enervating, but both those words are in the context that the community is deteriorating. Think of deteriorating as slowly dying, so placid and enervating would make sense.

 

-Pavi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 15 years later...
the way i figure it is that placid has a good connotation to it - calm, satisfied. but the point of the statement is that, even though they are complacent, and seem to be doing good, they are slowing deteriorating - or enervating (getting weak), which is not so good.

 

This is a great explanation for the word for the out-of-nowhere "but"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...